The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign businessman Chief Cletus Ibeto and his company, Ibeto Energy Development Company, on a 10-count charge of obtaining by false pretences, fraudulent conversion of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and deception on Thursday, October 5.
The two are scheduled to appear before Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, along with Odoh Holdings Ltd, another business tied to ibeto.
Channels Television got a copy of the allegation, which was signed by the EFCC’s Head of Legal, Gbolahan Latona, in April 2023.
Count 1 of the charge says that Chief Cletus Ibeto, Ibeto Energy Development Ltd and Odoh Holdings Ltd between June 2016 and May 2017 within the jurisdiction of the court by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained from Dozzy Oil & Gas Ltd and Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, the sum of N4.8bn purporting same to be consideration for 22.6536 hectares of land which he claimed to have at the end of Reclamation Road Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State by a deed of sublease executed by Odoh Holdings and Ibeto Energy Development Ltd when he only had 7.9 hectares of the said land.
Count 2 states that the defendants obtained N2.5bn from their victim as consideration for a non-existent 14.1 hectares of land while count 3 claims that they forged certain documents.
In Count 3, the defendants on or about January 30, 2018, allegedly with intent to defraud forged a Deed Of Sublease between Odoh Holdings Ltd and Ibeto Development Ltd purportedly, registered as No 47, Page 47, Vol. 280 of the Lands Registry, Rivers State wherein they claimed that Odoh Holdings Ltd acquired leasehold interest in respect of 22.6536
The offences are contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006, Section 365(3d) and (e), and Section 366 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The offence carries a punishment of no less than seven years and no more than 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.